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The boy from "Into the Wild" was Asexual


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I read the book by Jon Krakauer twice and saw the movie as well. I am about 99% sure that Chris Mccandless was asexual.

Here is an excerpt from the book: "we as Americans are titillated by sex, obsessed by it, horrified by it. When an apparently healthy person, especially a healthy young man, elects to forgo the enticements of the flesh, it shocks us and we leer. Suspicions are aroused."

~Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

Chris may have not only have been asexual, he may have also been aromantic.

As Krakauer states "There is no evidence that Chris had sex or a girlfriend of any type. He had a few female friends, but they were all platonic."

In Slab City a hot girl named Tracy hits on him, but he turns down all her advances.

In addition, there is also no evidence that he slept with girls during his college years.

Some people thought he was gay and keeping it a secret from everyone. However, there is really no evidence for this. In fact, there is really no evidence that Chis was either straight OR gay.

Krakauer belives he was an ascetic.

As Krakauer states : "His ambivilence towards sex echos that of celebrated others who embraced the wilderness with single minded passion."

However, Chris lived a romance free/sex free life long before he adopted his strange pilosophy and went into the forest to live.

In fact, there is a good possibility that when Chris Mccandless died in 1992, at the age of 24, he was a virgin.

Make what you will of this, but personally I think it's enough evidence to say he was asexual.

And another thing, there are a lot of rumors going around that he had asperges. Personaly, I would not be surprised by this either.

Anyway, I really like the book/movie into the Wild, and I think Chis was a badass. Somebody should add him to the offical list of famous asexuals, because he is really cool and diffrent.

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It's really interesting. I haven't read that book yet, but I've seen the movie. He was really ascetic, in every sense (money, possesions, relationships, etc.) Well maybe he was asexual. If so, I'm really proud of being ace!

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I only watched the movie... Ugh, this is going to sound cold/cruel, but I was under the impression he was a complete dolt/idiot... Completely naive of nature and ended up starving to death in the wilderness. Maybe that's because the movie seemed to portray him as stupid, and I haven't read the book...

Judging from what you've quoted, yeah he sounds asexual.

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He did seem like a secret schizoid.

I only watched the movie... Ugh, this is going to sound cold/cruel, but I was under the impression he was a complete dolt/idiot... Completely naive of nature and ended up starving to death in the wilderness. Maybe that's because the movie seemed to portray him as stupid, and I haven't read the book...

Judging from what you've quoted, yeah he sounds asexual.

He wasn't stupid, he wanted to go there unprepared knowing the risk. People who climb without safety equipment aren't stupid, it is behavior that is driven by emotion not they inability to know that it is more dangerous.

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I only watched the movie... Ugh, this is going to sound cold/cruel, but I was under the impression he was a complete dolt/idiot... Completely naive of nature and ended up starving to death in the wilderness. Maybe that's because the movie seemed to portray him as stupid, and I haven't read the book...

Judging from what you've quoted, yeah he sounds asexual.

That depends on what your outlook on life is. He found life to be more exciting without the reliance on money or civilization. He may have died young, but he was able to make the best of his short life. He arguably experienced more than countless people who are just rotting safely in some office.

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Storm Dancing

Chris McCandless was neither brilliant nor an idiot. He was someone who felt the need to explore life on his own terms, terms many people didn't understand and/or refused to accept. If he was anything, he was reckless. Many times he made bold decisions that appeared arrogant to family and friends but, in the end, he'd simply done what he wanted to do with his life. Not many of us can say that. Yes, he died in a broken down bus in Alaska 20 miles from a state maintained highway. An idiot? No. He chose to challenge nature many times and Alaska is an unforgiving wilderness, like all rugged areas can be. He gambled and lost.

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I only watched the movie... Ugh, this is going to sound cold/cruel, but I was under the impression he was a complete dolt/idiot... Completely naive of nature and ended up starving to death in the wilderness. Maybe that's because the movie seemed to portray him as stupid, and I haven't read the book...

Judging from what you've quoted, yeah he sounds asexual.

That depends on what your outlook on life is. He found life to be more exciting without the reliance on money or civilization. He may have died young, but he was able to make the best of his short life. He arguably experienced more than countless people who are just rotting safely in some office.

I'm all for living without the reliance of money or civilization, I just think it's really foolish to choose Alaska, of all places, for surviving on your own. My brother spends days at a time living in the wilderness of BC, traveling far into the interior and even brushing up against the Rockies, and he's a teenager! But he's been doing this kind of stuff his whole life, and he's taken courses every year for hunting, fishing, surviving off the land... and he had the same impression of the movie as I did. I don't think my outlook on life has anything to do with my opinion of this guy, and I didn't feel like he made the best out of his short life. You don't benefit anyone by dying in the middle of nowhere... You benefit others by doing community work and helping others. Everyone's life is their own, and I don't care what anyone does with it, but that is my two cents.

That being said, I can respect someone who takes a chance at doing what they love, whether they live or die trying.

Books tend to lend me a more empathetic ear to the protagonist than movies, though, so I acknowledge I have a flawed and biased interpretation of this guy. He could've been much more trained/prepared than the movie let on.

... But I still don't think he was a hero or anyone to look up to.

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I only watched the movie... Ugh, this is going to sound cold/cruel, but I was under the impression he was a complete dolt/idiot... Completely naive of nature and ended up starving to death in the wilderness. Maybe that's because the movie seemed to portray him as stupid, and I haven't read the book...

Judging from what you've quoted, yeah he sounds asexual.

That depends on what your outlook on life is. He found life to be more exciting without the reliance on money or civilization. He may have died young, but he was able to make the best of his short life. He arguably experienced more than countless people who are just rotting safely in some office.

I'm all for living without the reliance of money or civilization, I just think it's really foolish to choose Alaska, of all places, for surviving on your own. My brother spends days at a time living in the wilderness of BC, traveling far into the interior and even brushing up against the Rockies, and he's a teenager! But he's been doing this kind of stuff his whole life, and he's taken courses every year for hunting, fishing, surviving off the land... and he had the same impression of the movie as I did. I don't think my outlook on life has anything to do with my opinion of this guy, and I didn't feel like he made the best out of his short life. You don't benefit anyone by dying in the middle of nowhere... You benefit others by doing community work and helping others. Everyone's life is their own, and I don't care what anyone does with it, but that is my two cents.

That being said, I can respect someone who takes a chance at doing what they love, whether they live or die trying.

Books tend to lend me a more empathetic ear to the protagonist than movies, though, so I acknowledge I have a flawed and biased interpretation of this guy. He could've been much more trained/prepared than the movie let on.

... But I still don't think he was a hero or anyone to look up to.

I'm the same as your brother as far as preparation goes. Even when backpacking in popular areas I don't rely on luck. That said, if he felt his life was worth gambling on surviving on the bare minimum it's not our place to judge. I don't think he was a hero either, he just pursued his life in a way he saw fit. Kudos on the donation to Oxfam though.

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Storm Dancing

I only watched the movie... Ugh, this is going to sound cold/cruel, but I was under the impression he was a complete dolt/idiot... Completely naive of nature and ended up starving to death in the wilderness. Maybe that's because the movie seemed to portray him as stupid, and I haven't read the book...

Judging from what you've quoted, yeah he sounds asexual.

That depends on what your outlook on life is. He found life to be more exciting without the reliance on money or civilization. He may have died young, but he was able to make the best of his short life. He arguably experienced more than countless people who are just rotting safely in some office.

I'm all for living without the reliance of money or civilization, I just think it's really foolish to choose Alaska, of all places, for surviving on your own. My brother spends days at a time living in the wilderness of BC, traveling far into the interior and even brushing up against the Rockies, and he's a teenager! But he's been doing this kind of stuff his whole life, and he's taken courses every year for hunting, fishing, surviving off the land... and he had the same impression of the movie as I did. I don't think my outlook on life has anything to do with my opinion of this guy, and I didn't feel like he made the best out of his short life. You don't benefit anyone by dying in the middle of nowhere... You benefit others by doing community work and helping others. Everyone's life is their own, and I don't care what anyone does with it, but that is my two cents.

That being said, I can respect someone who takes a chance at doing what they love, whether they live or die trying.

Books tend to lend me a more empathetic ear to the protagonist than movies, though, so I acknowledge I have a flawed and biased interpretation of this guy. He could've been much more trained/prepared than the movie let on.

... But I still don't think he was a hero or anyone to look up to.

True,I don't feel he's an example of a hero, role model, or anyone to look up to. I admire his strong conviction to be able to turn his back on what the majority of us view as necessary comforts and to live his beliefs, as misguided as some feel they are. Jon KraKauer's book was a melancholy view of McCandless and it promoted the image of "Alexander Supertramp" as a present day Don Quixote. A good site about McCandless is:

http://www.christophermccandless.info/backtothewild.html

The photo on the back cover of the book "Back Into The Wild" is not a photo manipulation. It's one of McCandless' photos that people seem to think he accidently created by inserting a roll of already exposed film into his camera and clicking away. Either way, it's a haunting image.

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I read the book & the book is awesome. My impression is that "Alexander Supertramp" was a nice, intelligent kid was probably asexual, but a terrible risk taker who didn't think ahead. It was a tragedy the way he died. He could have done a lot with his life. But hey, yah gotta follow your own path in life and his led him into the cold wilderness.

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I only watched the movie... Ugh, this is going to sound cold/cruel, but I was under the impression he was a complete dolt/idiot... Completely naive of nature and ended up starving to death in the wilderness. Maybe that's because the movie seemed to portray him as stupid, and I haven't read the book...

Judging from what you've quoted, yeah he sounds asexual.

People tended to think he was brilliant and inspiring or hated him and thought he was stupid. Regardless of how you feel about Chris, you must admit he was a brilliant troll.

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I read the book & the book is awesome. My impression is that "Alexander Supertramp" was a nice, intelligent kid was probably asexual, but a terrible risk taker who didn't think ahead. It was a tragedy the way he died. He could have done a lot with his life. But hey, yah gotta follow your own path in life and his led him into the cold wilderness.

Thylacine, Iike your picture and the saying: "Kickin' Everybody Else's A." Just wanted to tell ya, 'cause it's been making me giggle for a while now.

As for Chris, I can't see him living his life any better than he did, especially (and this makes me a little sad to say) because he was asexual. I think if he graduated law school, had gone on to get married and have a family it would have been at best a cop out, and at worst, a flat out lie. I think he was smart enough, at 22 to see this, and that was part of the reason he was so gonzo and such a risk taker. Maybe this is why he appeals to so many people, asexuals and sexuals alike?

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I agree that he's not a hero, but I do admire his conviction when it comes to living life on his own terms. A lot of us seem to say that we want to do that; very few actually do, though. The film (which I saw about three years ago) really had an impact on me and I've finally just gotten round to reading the book in the last month here. In fact, I just came across a passage last night that... well actually, here, have a link to a photo I took of it on the ubiquitous Instagram app yesterday. My own thoughts are written underneath.

Anyway, I do admire his spirit and his ideals, even if he's not exactly a hero. As a very fearful and risk- and change-averse person, I dearly wish I had the courage to follow my own ideals and live my life to its fullest potential. One can't deny that that's what Chris was attempting to do. I've always hoped that he found at least some of what he desired before he passed away; judging from his writings, I'm pretty sure he did.

As for his possible asexuality... who really knows? I think I tend to agree with Krakauer, that he was an ascetic. Regardless of what Chris's sexuality may have been, it's clear that sex wasn't something that was important to him or that carried any great value of the sort that he found personally meaningful. He was looking for something bigger, something more spiritually fulfilling. Despite my lack of courage, I am very much the same way and even if I was fully sexual (I'm sorta somewhere between grey-a-ish and asexy, I suppose), I would place very little importance on sex and probably choose not to pursue it. Anyway, at the very least, I'd say he was functionally asexual.

I think Krakauer thought he was ascetic only because he didn't really know about asexuality. That, and he has an annoying tendency to project his personality on the subjects he writes about. Remember, ascetic is essentially celibate, in which case a person is still sexual and has urges and attractions. As far as we can tell Chris didn't have these urges, and there was no evidence he was ever sexual with anyone. He died when he was 24, and was probably a virgin, which seems a little late to just be a "late bloomer."

It's interesting to think about, because Chris's sexuality, while unusual, is one of the less written about aspects of his life. I think it's really important for asexual people to see themselves reflected in the media, and in books and film. I guess this is why I would like to see him labeled as asexual rather than ascetic. Maybe that's a little bit of an AVEN visibility thing, but yeah.

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Regardless of how you feel about Chris, you must admit he was a brilliant troll.

A troll...? In what sense? I know two meanings of that word, and one is internet slang and the other is from Norse mythology. How do you mean he was a troll?

Troll as in "U MAD BRO?"

http://alltheragefaces.com/img/faces/large/troll-troll-face-l.png

He was a brilliant academic who both failed and won at life in equal measures, and did so in a way that shook society's foundations.

Also he was attractive and constantly turned cute girls away.

It's really hard to feel neutral about his life.

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Storm Dancing

I agree that he's not a hero, but I do admire his conviction when it comes to living life on his own terms. A lot of us seem to say that we want to do that; very few actually do, though. The film (which I saw about three years ago) really had an impact on me and I've finally just gotten round to reading the book in the last month here. In fact, I just came across a passage last night that... well actually, here, have a link to a photo I took of it on the ubiquitous Instagram app yesterday. My own thoughts are written underneath.

Anyway, I do admire his spirit and his ideals, even if he's not exactly a hero. As a very fearful and risk- and change-averse person, I dearly wish I had the courage to follow my own ideals and live my life to its fullest potential. One can't deny that that's what Chris was attempting to do. I've always hoped that he found at least some of what he desired before he passed away; judging from his writings, I'm pretty sure he did.

As for his possible asexuality... who really knows? I think I tend to agree with Krakauer, that he was an ascetic. Regardless of what Chris's sexuality may have been, it's clear that sex wasn't something that was important to him or that carried any great value of the sort that he found personally meaningful. He was looking for something bigger, something more spiritually fulfilling. Despite my lack of courage, I am very much the same way and even if I was fully sexual (I'm sorta somewhere between grey-a-ish and asexy, I suppose), I would place very little importance on sex and probably choose not to pursue it. Anyway, at the very least, I'd say he was functionally asexual.

I think Krakauer thought he was ascetic only because he didn't really know about asexuality. That, and he has an annoying tendency to project his personality on the subjects he writes about. Remember, ascetic is essentially celibate, in which case a person is still sexual and has urges and attractions. As far as we can tell Chris didn't have these urges, and there was no evidence he was ever sexual with anyone. He died when he was 24, and was probably a virgin, which seems a little late to just be a "late bloomer."

It's interesting to think about, because Chris's sexuality, while unusual, is one of the less written about aspects of his life. I think it's really important for asexual people to see themselves reflected in the media, and in books and film. I guess this is why I would like to see him labeled as asexual rather than ascetic. Maybe that's a little bit of an AVEN visibility thing, but yeah.

Asexuality is rarely written about is the conclusion I've come to from all the books I've read in different genres. And I'm wondering if it's because...and don't take this wrong...there is simply nothing to write about. So many genres of writing, including biographies and autobiographies, revolve around relationships, good and bad, and how these relationships affect life in all facets. 99.9% of these relationships are sexual. So much emphasis is placed on sexuality that when it comes to mentioning asexuality as a factor affecting life like sexuality, writers simply don't see "anything" there to write. "Okay,you don't have sex....uhhh...welp. Moving on..."

Identifying as asexual, everyone reading this knows it affects your life dramatically and that relationships are formed and all the ups and downs are there, just as in a sexual relationship. But a sexual person, viewing it, possibly thinks there's nothing to elaborate on, or use in a writing sense to evolve a character. This is all in reference to fiction, of course. In auto and bios, I think it's something sexual people don't think is truly worth delving into. There's always a mention of "ascetic" or someone being a virgin, but I rarely run across anyone delving into the "why" of it all.

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I read the book & the book is awesome. My impression is that "Alexander Supertramp" was a nice, intelligent kid was probably asexual, but a terrible risk taker who didn't think ahead. It was a tragedy the way he died. He could have done a lot with his life. But hey, yah gotta follow your own path in life and his led him into the cold wilderness.

Thylacine, Iike your picture and the saying: "Kickin' Everybody Else's A." Just wanted to tell ya, 'cause it's been making me giggle for a while now.

As for Chris, I can't see him living his life any better than he did, especially (and this makes me a little sad to say) because he was asexual. I think if he graduated law school, had gone on to get married and have a family it would have been at best a cop out, and at worst, a flat out lie. I think he was smart enough, at 22 to see this, and that was part of the reason he was so gonzo and such a risk taker. Maybe this is why he appeals to so many people, asexuals and sexuals alike?

Well, what I meant was, he could have lived a good life... if he at least lived. That is, he could have gone on an adventure that was less hazardous & he didn't have to die. He could have just taken a road trip across country or something, would have been safer & etc.

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Storm Dancing

I read the book & the book is awesome. My impression is that "Alexander Supertramp" was a nice, intelligent kid was probably asexual, but a terrible risk taker who didn't think ahead. It was a tragedy the way he died. He could have done a lot with his life. But hey, yah gotta follow your own path in life and his led him into the cold wilderness.

Thylacine, Iike your picture and the saying: "Kickin' Everybody Else's A." Just wanted to tell ya, 'cause it's been making me giggle for a while now.

As for Chris, I can't see him living his life any better than he did, especially (and this makes me a little sad to say) because he was asexual. I think if he graduated law school, had gone on to get married and have a family it would have been at best a cop out, and at worst, a flat out lie. I think he was smart enough, at 22 to see this, and that was part of the reason he was so gonzo and such a risk taker. Maybe this is why he appeals to so many people, asexuals and sexuals alike?

Well, what I meant was, he could have lived a good life... if he at least lived. That is, he could have gone on an adventure that was less hazardous & he didn't have to die. He could have just taken a road trip across country or something, would have been safer & etc.

I don't think he really had the mindset for what was safer. I think he would have felt he'd settled for less and compromised his beliefs if he'd gone the safer route.

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Here is an excerpt from the book: "we as Americans are titillated by sex, obsessed by it, horrified by it. When an apparently healthy person, especially a healthy young man, elects to forgo the enticements of the flesh, it shocks us and we leer. Suspicions are aroused."

~Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

So... he disliked sex? You know it's possible to dislike sex and not be asexual, right?
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Here is an excerpt from the book: "we as Americans are titillated by sex, obsessed by it, horrified by it. When an apparently healthy person, especially a healthy young man, elects to forgo the enticements of the flesh, it shocks us and we leer. Suspicions are aroused."

~Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

So... he disliked sex? You know it's possible to dislike sex and not be asexual, right?

I have to agree. He may have been of any sexual orientation, behaviour doesn't always equal orientation. There's no proof he was hetero or gay, just as there's no proof he was asexual. And that's because people have to self-identify, let alone fictional characters.

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McCandless was a real person, not a fictional character, and he had had a girlfriend.

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Yeah but we're talking of what someone wrote of him, not what he wrote of himself. So he was "made" a character for a book.

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Yeah but we're talking of what someone wrote of him, not what he wrote of himself. So he was "made" a character for a book.

Krakauer's a journalist, and a good one. It was a biography; he used McCandless's own writings and reports from people who knew him. He didn't invent any dialogue.

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My bad then. But as I said, speculating on another person's sexual orientation when they do not 'come out' as anything is still pointless to me.

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br0wneyed-babe

I read that book in high school and saw the movie (though the movie stunk). I thought he had a girlfriend before just disappearing? Which is what also added to the shock value of it all?

Either way, I always thought he was interesting. There was also a part in the book about how he hated wearing socks and would take them off immediately after his shift at work ended.

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bergochdalvana

Very interesting thread.

I've seen the movie and read the book - the book has an impressing level of details, Krakauer is in no way sloppy or making things up/guessing. Personally I feel, based on the facts available, that Alex was asexual... but there's really no way to know for sure, I suppose.

Anyway, I choose to partially identify with him either way, not only because of that aspect but also because of his turning away from society and preferring solitude over company... I wouldn't go to the extremes he did, but I can certainly relate.

I also really wish there were more asexual characters in fiction, but I agree with Storm Dancing that most sexual people probably don't get it... and it might take a while before asexuality is acknowledged and accepted for what it is (or at least what it can be, it seems a lot more complex than one single definition).

Still, what about asexual people? There must be asexuals working in tv, writing, etc. as well. But I guess for one, it's not easy to make your voice heard if you're in minority, whatever your field of work... and also, in a way I think it might feel like a non-issue even for some asexuals. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to downplay the importance of (a)sexuality in a person's life and identity, just mean that when it comes to writing (I'm a songwriter), I think it's alot easier just to NOT write about sex and avoid the subject, than to actually make a statement "against" the sexual norm.

Sorry if my writing is confusing, I'm a bit tired tonight :P

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